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The later hypertension develops, the lower the likelihood of developing Alzheimer's disease
Last reviewed: 02.07.2025
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High blood pressure is undoubtedly dangerous to health, however, medications for hypertensive patients not only normalize blood pressure, but also help reduce the risk of developing senile dementia. According to experts, the higher the blood pressure, the less likely it is to develop dementia in old age.
Experts note that if a person suffers from high blood pressure in middle age, then over time the likelihood of developing Alzheimer's disease and other mental disorders increases. However, this effect disappears in old age.
These are the conclusions reached by specialists from the University of California. Researchers analyzed the condition of elderly people who did not have problems with cognitive decline.
Experts examined the health of more than 600 people every 6 months for 10 years. As a result, scientists found that the development of hypertension after 80 years significantly reduced possible problems with cognitive activity of the brain, unlike people who had normal blood pressure at this age. Scientists also noted that the development of hypertension after 90 years, further reduced the likelihood of senile dementia. At the same time, the effect did not depend on taking medications for high blood pressure.
But despite the conclusions made, experts insist that taking hypertension medications is necessary. In addition, previous studies have shown that hypertension medications help prevent age-related memory loss. The research project involved approximately 800 elderly people, 600 of whom suffered from hypertension.
The type of blood pressure medication did not play a significant role, but hypertension treatment helped prevent a number of brain abnormalities. Beta blockers were particularly effective in preventing brain shrinkage.
In addition, a long-term study conducted by one of the medical schools has established that changes in pressure throughout life will help identify the risk of cardiovascular diseases. At the same time, scientists note that pressure should also be taken into account at a young age.
Experts note that if you take measures to normalize blood pressure as early as possible, this will help prevent a number of unpleasant health problems. Experts analyzed the health of people aged 18 to 55 years. As a result, scientists were able to determine that there are certain patterns of pressure changes that can provoke calcification of the arteries in middle age, which leads to a high probability of developing a heart attack.
The researchers noted that the results primarily concern young people with high blood pressure. The specialists compared the results of young people aged 18, whose high blood pressure was still within the normal range, with those whose blood pressure was normal. Over time, when the participants in the experiment reached middle age, the first category with high blood pressure had full-blown hypertension, and the likelihood of calcification of the arteries increased fourfold.